CBS This Morning journalist Jeff Glor on Tuesday derided famous author Tom Wolfe for the “very dangerous” ideas in his new book. The writer attacks Darwinism and far-left professor Noam Chomsky in his new work, The Kingdom of Speech. It was clear that the network journalist was enamored with the articulate Wolfe, complimenting the “wry, wicked” intellectual.
However, when it came to the subject of the book, Glor critiqued “It is bold, and I think some would say very dangerous, to say that Darwinism and evolution is a myth.” Wolfe simply insisted, “It's no use saying human beings evolved from animals because they are creatures with totally different powers. If you have the power of speech, that's also the power of memory.”
He added, “I think the problem with evolution is you have to wait six or seven million years. That's a little hard to recall.”
Wolfe is best known for works such as The Right Stuff and the Bonfire of the Vanities. His latest book is a return to non-fiction.
Glor offered little about Wolfe’s attacks on the liberal Chomsky. The New York Times book review, however, screamed at the writer’s attack:
Secondarily, this book is a rebuke of the work of the linguist Noam Chomsky, whom Mr. Wolfe refers to as “Noam Charisma.” Rebuke is actually too frivolous a word for the contumely Mr. Wolfe looses in his direction. More precisely, he tars and feathers Mr. Chomsky before sticking a clown nose on his face and rolling him in a baby stroller off a cliff.
NYT writer Dwight Garner said that Wolfe “declares Mr. Chomsky to be bankrupt in nearly every regard, a pretentious man whose ideas set linguistic study back for decades.”
Back on CBS, Glor closed his, largely, complementary story by dismissing Wolfe’s central thesis. He condescendingly described the writer this way: “I think you have to read this less as a scientific journal than as Tom Wolfe theater an for the language and his bold language. And that's helpful.”
A partial transcript of the CBS segment is below:
CBS TM
8/30/16
8:45am ETDEMARCO MORGAN: Tom Wolfe is out with his first non-fiction book in about 15 years. The Kingdom of Speech is an is a bold argument about language and human evolution. Now, the book seems to challenge our understanding of Darwinism and Jeff Glor spoke to the provocative writer in New York. Jeff, good morning.
JEFF GLOR: DeMarco, good morning. At 85, the white suited Tom wolf Wolfe is still stalking big game. But this book is a bit different, a history lesson mixed with a return to his roots in journalism, an industry he first upended more than 50 years ago.
MIKE WALLACE: He stalks his east side, New York neighborhood like an immaculate, white Persian cat.
GLOR: Doesn't matter what year it is, 1981 with 60 Minutes. 2006 with Sunday Morning.
TOM WOLFE: Don't miss out on the big apple button.
WALLACE: This summer, you'll find Tom Wolfe bedecked in a white suit and blasting out wry, wicked language aiming to irritate anyone who thinks they are too smart, too rich or too important.
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GLOR: When I opened this, I wondered if Tom Wolfe’s famous feistiness may have subsided a little bit over the years. It hasn't.
WOLFE: Well, I just try to bring truth.
GLOR: In his latest book, Wolfe argues speech, not evolution is responsible for humanity's highest achievements. He skewers the man who introduced evolution to the masses, Charles Darwin, along with famed linguist Noam Chomsky.
WOLFE: I came to the conclusion that Darwinism, the theory of evolution is another myth. And it’s no use saying that human beings evolved from animals because they are creatures of totally different powers. If you have the power of speech, that's also the power of memory.
GLOR: It is bold, and I think some would say very dangerous, to say that Darwinism and evolution is a myth.
WOLFE: Well, I think a lot of people don’t agree with me. But, the problem with evolution is you have to wait six or seven million years. That’s a little hard to recall.
GLOR: It’s not hard to recount Wolfe’s achievements. He crashed the print party in the ‘60s with essays and arguments that use bold language to showcase his rigorous reporting, climaxing with The Right Stuff in 1979.
...GLOR: Is this the last book?
WOLFE: To be honest, I have only five more planned. One is coming up is on political correctness, which I think is the funniest subject in a long, long time.
GLOR: Tom Wolfe has been taking on political correctness for decades now. But, yes, the book is out today and five more planned.
JOSH ELLIOTT: And perhaps there will be a response to I imagine the reaction to this book. To me, natural selection and speech are not mutually exclusive ideas.
GLOR: Right, I think you have to read this less as a scientific journal than as Tom Wolfe theater an for the language and his bold language. And that's helpful.
MORGAN: Aside from the book, he’s just a fine dresser.
